Demons 2 (The Nightmare Returns) - review

1986 (Italy)

2012 Arrow Films Demons 1 & 2 Steelbook Blu-ray R(B/2) 

Contains mild spoilers.

I rarely see any mention of Lamberto Bava and Dario Argento Demons duology in zombie film discussions. It's as if horns and bad teeth are enough to cement the notion demons can't be zombies and zombies most definitely don't originate from the fiery pits of hell. Me? I'm more relaxed on the subject. Global viral pandemic, mad scientist, interstellar parasitical space moss, I don't care, take away the person who once had control and replace him, or her, with a drive and will they have no command over, whether that's rabid and instinctual or as the puppet of an actual master, and I'll call zombie. I know this leads me into deep waters, and at some point I'll have to actually think about drug addiction, mental health, economic slavery etc, but for now, all I'll say after watching the maniacal flesh hungry monsters of Demons 2 torment and rampage the occupants of a high rise apartment block, is I've never watched anything more zombie in my life.

The cinema screen this time is replaced by the television but the story is the same as number one. A group of intrepid, albeit naive kids stumbling around ancient ruins (this time the cityscape, it is narrated, which was ruined as a direct consequence of the outbreak and subsequent demon war of the first film), entirely avoidably set in motion a new demon resurrection which then somehow metaphysically spills into the real world of those watching. Ok, I'll acknowledge this meta-narrative-pre-amble that's copied from the first doesn't quite work as well; I mean who would either watch a quite lame demonic horror film at the dinner table or leave their young kid home alone with the remote and the permission to watch what they like, but I will acknowledge it's at least trying to continue the same esoteric duel narrative, and the first demon pushing itself out of screen is at least dark and eerie to watch.

The first victim is an angst ridden prima-donna sulking in her bedroom and ignoring all those party-goers I don't believe for one second would have actually turned up for her birthday party, Sally Day (Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni). A scratch, a bite and as she stumbles shocked back into the party to blow out her candles (yes, we're honestly supposed to believe that 18 year-olds of the eighties thought partying involved dancing and balloons and not getting utterly shit-faced) her veins start pumping, her teeth and nails start extending and she's ready to spread the fun. It's all cliché, tried and tested single location zombie horror without any character development or deep narrative but honestly Demons 2 is one of the best zombie films I've seen. There, I've said it. It has everything you'd want from the sort of film it's set out to be. There's claustrophobic scares, desperate survival horror, brilliantly gruesome choreographed murders and it's all done at break-neck speed to a fantastic eighties British new wave soundtrack which includes The Smiths and The Cult. I said watching crazed zombie-demons savagely torment the cinema-goers to 'Fast As A Shark' was good, well it was just as much fun with 'Power' by Fields of Nephilim.

Bava and Argento know what they're doing. The script doesn't stray, the tension, pressure and deaths intensify perfectly and the whole film flows with from scene to scene with ease. For the quantity of visitors and residence screaming and running about the film concentrates focus on a surprisingly few number. Hannah (Nancy Brilli), a pregnant woman after some of the reveller's cake, her husband  George (David Edwin Knight), who gets trapped in the elevator with working girl Mary (Virginia Bryant) and the star of the show the returning Bobby Rhodes as Hank the over exuberant body building grand-pedagogue who takes leadership of the panicking lycra wearing, shirtless eighties survivors in the underground car park. They're all competently portrayed caricatures you never particularly care about, but they play their roles as inevitable cannon fodder as well as required allowing the unquestionable star of the show to shine.

Sergio Stivaletti is again a make-up and effects wizard coming up trumps with zombie demons that appear and act with equal authenticity and fantasticalness. The first demon is brought back to life, or reanimated, it's never clear, by inadvertent drops of blood to its mouth and fangs and it's all very vampirish. Once through the veil and into our world it spreads the infection via bites, a scratch or if anyone is particularly unlucky to ingest any of the blood which corrodes and burns between floors like possessed acid. Turning zombie is pretty fast and once toothed to max it would appear all self is gone and the only desire is to rabidly hunt and attack anyone in sight. Like I said, in appearance and behaviour it's all zombie; there's no references to the devil, there's no magical abilities (other than the glowing eyes) and they're very much of our world limited to sight, hearing and being shot. If it wasn't for the mutations these films would appear on every zombie buff's film list and their fast pace and acrobatic movements along with high rate of infection might be even be referred to as the catalyst for the change in zombie pace we now see, rather than Boyle's imaginings which came sixteen years later. Talking of mutations I will mention both Toto the demon dog and the impish rubber demon that rips itself out of the young Tommy (Marco Vivio & Davide Marotta), which are quite frankly laughably appalling even by eighties standards. These aside there's really nothing production wise to gripe about though; it's authentic, sumptuously shot and stitched together with some quite beautiful lighting, and has the perfect amount of blood and death to satisfy any gore-hounds cravings.

Gripping from start to finish Demons 2 may be more of the same, retro derivative nonsense, with a confusing back story and forgettable acting , but when it's fashioned this well that's fine by me. I've noted it doesn't have many fans and I know it's not perfect but I genuinely enjoyed every minute of it recognising the many zombie tropes which crop up and admiring the artistry in the way it was all captured. Fast, action packed, gory and fun, Demons 2 might not quite reach the heights as its predecessor but taken together they're probably my favourite horror pairing. I also couldn't help but think a third (official) entry in the series, called Demons 3D with the demons popping through as the only thing with depth could be truly amazing; albeit I'll admit, a tad gimmicky. Maybe I'll drop Lamberto a line, 8/10.

Steven@WTD.

Demons - review

1985 (Italy)

2012 Arrow Films Demons 1 & 2 Steelbook Blu-ray R(B/2)

Contains spoilers.

I'm inevitably inviting trouble with this one, I know. I mean they're demons not zombies right, it even says so on the cover. That being said the more films I review the more I come to terms with the ambiguous ever evolving definition of zombie. Each iteration of our (un)dead antihero brings new rules, new behaviours and new fears born from that generations personal ennui and crisis. Romero got it, twisting the dark Haitian slaves with prevalent 60s fear about lack of identity and direction to create the western archetype. Boyle too, understood, pouncing on a society obsessed with disease and pandemic, isolation and how reliant we now are on the state and modern infrastructure. As each generation redefines itself,  so a mirror is held up and our darkest fears of course will change too. The zombie is a manifestation of the lack of self and identity as defined at that time and place; a metaphor for becoming lost in that particular herd.  Just because one can run, one doesn't actually die, one is controlled by a voodoo master doesn't really matter, does it? I guess what I'm saying is maybe there's room to play and I for one, probably shouldn't take it all too seriously, which reminds me, they're also a pretty good thing to use to scare the heebie-jeebies out of us.

Every so often you come across a film that just gets it. A film with a clear identity, a clear vision and the unwavering ability deliver it. This is such a film. Italian director Lamberto Bava and producer Dario Argento, have produced a simple, brilliant claustrophobic horror that's unremitting in its pace and atmosphere, and uncompromising in it's use of blood and gore in the best grind-house tradition. There's not a single dead scene, it flows with consummate ease and despite being such a facile almost basic clichéd concept, it's surprising, invigorating and inventive at every turn. Honestly, as I watched the mayhem and carnage with Fast as a Shark by Accept, part of an up tempo 80s pop/metal soundtrack, accompanying it all, blood curdling scream for scream, I honestly wondered if it could get any better.

A masked man has seemingly chosen a motley assortment of 80s stereotypes to come watch a film in what was an abandoned West Berlin cinema. Taking their seats Cheryl (Natasha Hovey) and Kathy (Paola Cozzo) attract two admirers, George (Urbano Barberini) and Ken (Karl Zinny) who offer to hold their hands should the onscreen horror get too much. The whole Nostradamus back story, with a lost prophesy and a possessed mask is farcical and a bit farfetched but having it play out as a meta-narrative b-movie is genius. Rosemary (Geretta Geretta), one of girls brought to the theatre by 'Tony the pimp' (Bobby Rhodes) is the first to turn in an explosion of green goo and macabre twisted prosthetic brilliance and watching and waiting as the fantasy horror of the screen meets the real and genuine horror that's now heading their direction is brilliantly tense and the anticipation is palpable. This Arrow Blu-ray release has a remarkably good transfer, crisp and clean, but never do the great and gory effects from Sergio Stivoletti ever seem inauthentic.

So why am I interested in this film? Sure they're people possessed by demons but they seem to need to die first and once someone is bitten or scratched they'll turn into a demon too. I'll admit it's a little ambiguous whether you actually have to die or not, but death certainly doesn't seem to interfere with the new state and certainly doesn't stop them chasing anyone alive with an insatiable hunger to sink their teeth in. Ok most of them do get a bit physically demonic with pointy fangs, long sharp finger nails and gnarly warped faces but at heart they behave and act like zombies, moaning shuffling with gnashing teeth and their arms out stretched. It's really not that far removed from Evil Dead or [REC]. And ok, I said they weren't really zombie films either but I also said it was close. Certainly, at the end, as the two survivors run across the apocalyptic wasteland that has befallen Berlin, pursued by a flesh hungry mob of undead demons it really felt like I was watching a zombie film albeit in name.

I mentioned I couldn't help notice the similarities to the [REC] franchise; demon-zombies, a tight claustrophobic set with no exit, transference of an 'infection' which enables possession, lots of scares, blood and gore. There's also the convenient introduction of new characters who can get in but not out ala [REC]², and if this franchise can get away with being called a pseudo-zombie one I'm not sure why Demons can't.

Ok, I will concede it's maybe not quite perfect; amassing such an assortment of 80s tropes all ready for the slaughter is convenient and perhaps a tad lazy and the film doesn't do a great deal to explain in any coherent manner what's really going on, but to me the ambiguity and confusion feels deliberate, and amplifies the constant dread and tension. One comes away from the film with a mountain of questions, but that's ok, sometimes its good to be left in the dark. The dialogue is sharp and witty, the acting fun and full of retro-charm and the action, carnage and slaughter are delivered non stop and with ferocity.

I was really quite smitten with Demons, a gratuitous no nonsense 80s horror-slasher with oodles of blood and gore and charm. As I've said it accomplishes what it set out to do with success and style and it delivered everything I could want. A real popcorn horror delight, 9/10.

WTD.